Positive dramas: Enacting self-adventures in organizations

In response to a need for understanding the role of practice and agency in identity production, this paper establishes the concept of positive dramas. Positive dramas are particular fields of meaning and engagement constituted by people to organize experience into lived narratives; enacted self-adve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of positive psychology 2008-01, Vol.3 (1), p.55-75
Main Author: Carlsen, Arne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agency
Drama
Identity
narrative
Narratives
Organizations
positive organizing
practice
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Summary:In response to a need for understanding the role of practice and agency in identity production, this paper establishes the concept of positive dramas. Positive dramas are particular fields of meaning and engagement constituted by people to organize experience into lived narratives; enacted self-adventures marked by a sense of something important being at stake, unpredictability, emotional engagement, and involvement of self. Based on research in four organizational settings, five main types of positive dramas are identified (The Battle, The Mission, The Mystery, The Treasure Hunt, and The Other). Their temporal levels range from peak experiences, to time-bound cycles inherent in work, to open-ended quests. These findings are situated within the tradition of positive organizational scholarship. Implications for identity production are more broadly discussed.
ISSN:1743-9760
1743-9779
DOI:10.1080/17439760701751061